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19 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 7/99
Further action on Rio Tinto, the world's biggest mining company, was mapped out by international trade unionists and parliamentarians meeting in London today.
The strategy talks were called by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The unions are part of a broad international alliance of organisations campaigning for big improvements in Rio Tinto's environmental performance and in its respect for human rights, including trade union rights and the rights of indigenous peoples.
As the London meeting got underway, a tense stand-off continued at Rio Tinto's Gordonstone mine in Australia, where the ICEM-affiliated miners' union CFMEU is pressing for the reinstatement of miners illegally sacked by the previous owner of the site.
Trade unionists and British and European parliamentarians at the London talks declared their solidarity with the CFMEU and with the Gordonstone miners, and called upon Rio Tinto to rehire the miners without further delay.
Meanwhile, Labor Party members of both chambers of the Australian federal parliament today issued a statement backing the CFMEU and the miners in their current disputes with Rio Tinto at Gordonstone and at other Australian mines. The Labor legislators said they would join a rally at Gordonstone next week.
Rio Tinto, which recently bought Gordonstone from Arco, has been attempting to restart the mine with a group of hand-picked employees on a non-union contract.
This has sparked daily confrontations over the past week on the Gordonstone picket line, which has been in place for 17 months following Arco's sacking of the miners.
More than 50 pickets were arrested at Gordonstone today, including a member of the Queensland state parliament, after they prevented a bus from leaving the mine. Inside the bus were some of the hand-picked workers who have been preparing the mine for production.
The Australian Federal Court today began hearing a CFMEU application to urgently bring forward the union's case to have the sacked miners rehired.
The meeting in London today concentrated particularly on strategies regarding Rio Tinto's two Annual General Meetings this May. The dual-listed company holds yearly shareholder assemblies in both London and Melbourne.
ICEM-affiliated British unions the AEEU, MSF and BACM organise within the UK operations of Rio Tinto, which is headquartered in London.
Taking part in the London talks today were, among others:
Richard Howitt, Labour Member of the European Parliament and the prime mover behind European legislators' call for a binding EU code of conduct for European enterprises operating in developing countries; British legislator Michael Clapham, who is prominent in the House of Commons all-party Occupational Health and Safety Group and who last year tabled highly critical parliamentary motions about Rio Tinto; Fred Higgs, ICEM Vice-President and National Officer of British ICEM affiliate the TGWU; John Maitland, ICEM Vice-President and National Secretary of the CFMEU; James Motlatsi, ICEM Vice-President and President of South Africa's ICEM-affiliated National Union of Miners; Bob Shannon, National Officer of ICEM British affiliate the AEEU; Simon Steyne from the International Department of the TUC, Britain's national union confederation; ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe and ICEM Mines Officer Damien Roland.
The strategy talks were called by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The unions are part of a broad international alliance of organisations campaigning for big improvements in Rio Tinto's environmental performance and in its respect for human rights, including trade union rights and the rights of indigenous peoples.
As the London meeting got underway, a tense stand-off continued at Rio Tinto's Gordonstone mine in Australia, where the ICEM-affiliated miners' union CFMEU is pressing for the reinstatement of miners illegally sacked by the previous owner of the site.
Trade unionists and British and European parliamentarians at the London talks declared their solidarity with the CFMEU and with the Gordonstone miners, and called upon Rio Tinto to rehire the miners without further delay.
Meanwhile, Labor Party members of both chambers of the Australian federal parliament today issued a statement backing the CFMEU and the miners in their current disputes with Rio Tinto at Gordonstone and at other Australian mines. The Labor legislators said they would join a rally at Gordonstone next week.
Rio Tinto, which recently bought Gordonstone from Arco, has been attempting to restart the mine with a group of hand-picked employees on a non-union contract.
This has sparked daily confrontations over the past week on the Gordonstone picket line, which has been in place for 17 months following Arco's sacking of the miners.
More than 50 pickets were arrested at Gordonstone today, including a member of the Queensland state parliament, after they prevented a bus from leaving the mine. Inside the bus were some of the hand-picked workers who have been preparing the mine for production.
The Australian Federal Court today began hearing a CFMEU application to urgently bring forward the union's case to have the sacked miners rehired.
The meeting in London today concentrated particularly on strategies regarding Rio Tinto's two Annual General Meetings this May. The dual-listed company holds yearly shareholder assemblies in both London and Melbourne.
ICEM-affiliated British unions the AEEU, MSF and BACM organise within the UK operations of Rio Tinto, which is headquartered in London.
Taking part in the London talks today were, among others:
Richard Howitt, Labour Member of the European Parliament and the prime mover behind European legislators' call for a binding EU code of conduct for European enterprises operating in developing countries; British legislator Michael Clapham, who is prominent in the House of Commons all-party Occupational Health and Safety Group and who last year tabled highly critical parliamentary motions about Rio Tinto; Fred Higgs, ICEM Vice-President and National Officer of British ICEM affiliate the TGWU; John Maitland, ICEM Vice-President and National Secretary of the CFMEU; James Motlatsi, ICEM Vice-President and President of South Africa's ICEM-affiliated National Union of Miners; Bob Shannon, National Officer of ICEM British affiliate the AEEU; Simon Steyne from the International Department of the TUC, Britain's national union confederation; ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe and ICEM Mines Officer Damien Roland.